Prison board told drug raid comes up empty

Thursday, Nov. 11, 1999 | 12:44 p.m.

CARSON CITY -- Despite what the public thinks, there is not a large amount of drugs in Nevada prisons, its director says.

Director Bob Bayer told the state Prison Board on Wednesday there was a surprise inspection using 10 drug sniffing dogs at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center recently and there wasn't a single illegal narcotic found.

"It's not as rampant as some people might imagine," Bayer said. His comments came as the prison board approved 10 regulations covering issues from alcohol and drug testing to sexual harassment to how to handle the threat of prison gangs.

Federal regulations require the prison to conduct random samplings on 5 percent of the population each month, he said. There are also tests when prison officials feel there is cause and also routine examinations after visits from outsiders.

The regulations on sexual harassment and prison security threats were confidential. This prompted Secretary of State Dean Heller, a board member, to question why the harassment policy was confidential. Heller challenged that policy, and later in the day Bayer released a copy of the harassment policy to the media.

But the rule on how to handle gangs must be kept confidential because it provides the procedures for security.

Gov. Kenny Guinn, the board chairman, wanted to know why the regulations were so detailed. He suggested they may be too burdensome. For instance, he said, employees are prohibited from taking a taxicab on duty.

But he said it may be cheaper to get a cab to go to a meeting rather than check out a car to drive only a short distance. Bayer said the regulation is designed to control costs.

Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa defended the detailed regulations. She said the prison is sued quite often and it must have these rules in place.

The regulations approved by the board included ones to charge inmates for medical treatment; collection of blood and saliva samples from sex offenders and administration of inmate work programs.